2003_2004-medlife-GBairways-magazine
2
= D 7 n E A m a rF tii llü fiith its deep lslamic faith but lile i,rll parallel belief in everyday magic, a Medina organised around craft guilds and medieval methods, doggedly independent mountain tribesmen and ancient urban cultures, Marrakech is the shortest distance you can travel from Europe and wind up somewhere genuinely different. lt's the place where all the clich6s come true: where the beggars are blind and snakes are charmed, where mounds of food are delivered on platters as bare-navelled bellydancers shrmmy by the table, where herbalists in the souk selljars of scorpions and exorcists with wildly darting eyes know what to do with them. lt's a place where the fantasy of Oriental life can be indulged to the full, even for just a weekend, and you can still be back in the office by mid-morning Monday. It is not, though, a city of great monuments. ln total, there are barely half a dozen mosques, palaces or museums. The chief landmark is the minaret of the Koutoubia Mosque, which is to the city what the Eiffel Tower is to Paris and the Empire State is to New York. It also flags the Iocation of the neighbouring Jemaa El Fna. This is the city's main open space, buL to call it a public squareis misleading. lt's as irregular in shape as an accident of nature, and thronged day and night with a carnival of local life; it's totally at odds with its name, which roughly translates as 'Assembly of the Dead'. To the north are the souks (markets), with alleyway upon alleyway of tiny closet-sized emporia - 100 of them in '100 metres. ln the midst of the haggle and barter, serenity comes in the form of the Ben Youssef Mederssa (Place Ben Youssef, O44 39 09 1 1/2), a gorgeous old theological college resplendent with polychromic tiling and lacey plasterwork that threatened to upstage Kate Winslet in the 1998 film vers,on of Hioeous Krnky. For the total tourist trip, climb into a horse-drawn caleche beside the Koutoubia for a six-mile circuit of the Old City walls: it lasts about one hour and costs approximately f4. Beyond the city walls are the Majorelle Gardens (Avenue Yacoub El Mansour, Gu6liz) established by a French Orientalist painter and now owned and maintained by Yves Saint Laurent. who has a villa next door. stunning interior and fine vtews of the palace quarter from its roof terrace. For a break from tagines, style mag-f riendly Foundouk (55 rue du Souk des Fassi, 044 37 81 90) offers French-Continental cooking in surrounds that are part Tim Burton, part Philippe Starck. But the venue of the moment is Comptoir (avenue Echouada,044 43 77 02) with Its sultry exotic-East-meets-moneyed- West stylinqs. The food is hit and miss but it's a hoot all the same. Be there at I I pm tr clay or Saturday for the grand entrance of the bellydancers. Less lodqrngs than Iifestyle locations, hotels in Manakech are desirable destinations in themselves. Most visitors choose to stay in a cool and stylish riad (a townhouse with a central garden courtyard) in the teeming alteyways of tne Old Ci§. Most eye-oooo ^g of the lot is Riad Enrla (9 Derb Mesfioui, 044 44 09 26, wrwv.rradenija.com) where any guests lacking the pose and hauteur of a catwalk diva risk beinq made to look shabby by the drop dead gorgeousness of the rooms. Dar Doukkala (83 Derb Arset Aouzal. 044 3834 44, wwwdardoukkala.com) is a strange but appealing mix of '1940s English country mansion and Moroccan riad. A rambling maze of a residence, Riad El Cadi (87 Derb Moulay Abdelkader, 044 37 86 55, www.riyadelcadi.com) comprises eight interconnected houses; bedrooms, as well as the various salons, corridors and landings, double as gallery space {or an outstanding collection of local art and artefacts. Tchaikana (25 Derb El Ferrane, 044 38 51 50, www.tchaikana.com) is lust four rooms small; however, they're all enormous and beautiful. Riad Magi (79 Derb Moulay Abdelkader, 044 42 66 88) is petite, unpretentrous and homely with six colour-coordinated rooms tiered in three levels around its central oranqe-tree shaded courtyard. When in town, English owner Maggie Perry holds court from her corner table, organising guests' affairs and spinning stories of local absurdity. The only real option for getting to grips with the Old City is to go at it on foot. lt looks daunting on the map, but the area within the walls isn't really that larqe. And in any case, many of the streets are too narrow to accommodate cars, hence the swarms of motorcycles, scooters and pushbikes that mäke negotiating the city so lethal to pedestrians. .Just occasronally, a taxi might be necessary, but more for navigation purposes than for anything else; some restaurants and hotels are so well hidden that the only way to find them is to be chauffeured by a native. :.,i , l. lt.rrrt :.:::: : : Less than an hour's drive south of Marrakech äre the Atlas Mountarns, lofty, often snow-capped peaks traversed by a series of passes. Most spectacular o{ these high altitude routes is the Tizi n Tichka, which snakes up to 2,260 metres above sea PLANE TNiT i Flight time 3hrs 40mins-4hrs 35mlns. . Served by British Airuvays, operated r by GB Airuvays, from Gatwick and l Heathrow Check wr,lw.ba.com for I cleLails. Airport Frcm luggage caro,sel al Marrakec^ s i-rernatrona. airpo't to city centre takes less than ten mrnutes i I by car. Taxis wa t outside the arrivals ouildinq. The farr to r1e o d City s I about f3. Most taxr d|vers p cking Lp at tl'e airpo'r wil acceot dolla's, eros o" pounds. Why go? Because the current passion for ethnicity and colour has conspired to make Marrakech the A-list destination du jour. Don't miss The carnival of local entertainment each night on lemaa El Fna. What to buy Everyth ng for a Moroccan makeover of the pad back home. What's weird lsn't that Sting in the corner? And wasn't that Jean Paul Gau tier in the kaftan? How did a small, provincral c ty in North Africa get to be so damn fashionable? level. At its highest point, the road is overlooked by the dramatic ruins of the Kasbah Telouet, former power base of the rulers of the Atlas. Continuing south on the same road is Ait Benhaddou, another rambling fortress eyrie and a favourite location for frlm-makers: the kasbah has featured in more than 20 movies includrng David Lean's Lawrence of Arabia and Ridley Scott's Gladiator. Ouarzazale, the regional capital at the southern end of the Trzi n Tichka road has close lrnks to the film rndustry including a couple of large studio complexes, but otherwise is just a pit stop for visitors heading on down into the desert and the sand dunes of Zagora. Net access Cyber Club, Avenue Mohammed V, next to Cafe Koutoubia. Police station Brigade Touristique (Tourist Police), Jemaa El Fna (044 38 46 0 1 ). Post office rue Moulay lsmael, just off Jemaa El Fna. Taxis Flag them down on the street; they're all yellow and stencilled 'petit taxi'. Tourist office Office National Marocain du Tourisme, place Abdel Moumen, Gu1liz(044 43 61 31). Websites www.tourism-in-morocco.com wwu.morocco-today.inf o Code to dial from the UK: 00 212, then drop the initial 0 ßt As the sun sets on Jemaa El Fna, street entertainers shift thetr pitches to accommodate the arrival of around 100 food stalls that set up in tightiy drawn rows with benches for the diners and masses of food banked up in the middle beside smoke-wreathed open grilis. Each stall specialises: palatability runs from the safe and familiar (boiled eggs, soup and kebabs) to the outriqht revolting (boiled sheep heads and brains). Restaurants in Marrakech typically feature sumptuous visual feasts of tiling and stucco, courtyards open to starry skies, with rich fabrics and lantern lighting ior texture and colour. Tops for quality cooking is Dar Moha (81 rue Dar El Bacha, 044 38 64 00, www.darmoha.ma), which specralrses in Moroccan fusion cuisine. Ksar Es Saoussan (3 Derb El Messaoudyenne. 044 44 OG 32) has spades of old world charm and a choice oi reasonably pr,ced ser menus. f Mirrouna (47 place des Ferblantiers, 044 38 68 68, wwwrestaurant-lmimouna.com) boasts a
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Transcript of 2003_2004-medlife-GBairways-magazine
=D7nEAmarF
tii llü fiith its deep lslamic faith butlile i,rll parallel belief in everydaymagic, a Medina organised aroundcraft guilds and medieval methods,doggedly independent mountaintribesmen and ancient urbancultures, Marrakech is the shortestdistance you can travel from Europeand wind up somewhere genuinelydifferent. lt's the place where all theclich6s come true: where the beggarsare blind and snakes are charmed,where mounds of food are deliveredon platters as bare-navelledbellydancers shrmmy by the table,where herbalists in the souk selljarsof scorpions and exorcists with wildlydarting eyes know what to do withthem. lt's a place where the fantasyof Oriental life can be indulged tothe full, even for just a weekend, andyou can still be back in the office by
mid-morning Monday.It is not, though, a city of great
monuments. ln total, there are barelyhalf a dozen mosques, palaces ormuseums. The chief landmark is theminaret of the Koutoubia Mosque,which is to the city what the EiffelTower is to Paris and the Empire Stateis to New York. It also flags theIocation of the neighbouring JemaaEl Fna. This is the city's main openspace, buL to call it a public squareismisleading. lt's as irregular in shapeas an accident of nature, andthronged day and night with a
carnival of local life; it's totally atodds with its name, which roughlytranslates as 'Assembly of the Dead'.
To the north are the souks(markets), with alleyway uponalleyway of tiny closet-sized emporia
- 100 of them in '100 metres. ln themidst of the haggle and barter,serenity comes in the form of the Ben
Youssef Mederssa (Place Ben Youssef,
O44 39 09 1 1/2), a gorgeous oldtheological college resplendent withpolychromic tiling and laceyplasterwork that threatened toupstage Kate Winslet in the 1998film vers,on of Hioeous Krnky.
For the total tourist trip, climb intoa horse-drawn caleche beside theKoutoubia for a six-mile circuit of theOld City walls: it lasts about one hourand costs approximately f4. Beyondthe city walls are the MajorelleGardens (Avenue Yacoub El Mansour,Gu6liz) established by a FrenchOrientalist painter and now ownedand maintained by Yves SaintLaurent. who has a villa next door.
stunning interior and fine vtews of thepalace quarter from its roof terrace. Fora break from tagines, style mag-f riendlyFoundouk (55 rue du Souk des Fassi, 04437 81 90) offers French-Continentalcooking in surrounds that are part TimBurton, part Philippe Starck. But thevenue of the moment is Comptoir(avenue Echouada,044 43 77 02) withIts sultry exotic-East-meets-moneyed-West stylinqs. The food is hit and missbut it's a hoot all the same. Be there atI I pm tr clay or Saturday for the grandentrance of the bellydancers.
Less lodqrngs than Iifestyle locations, hotelsin Manakech are desirable destinations inthemselves. Most visitors choose to stay in
a cool and stylish riad (a townhouse with a
central garden courtyard) in the teemingalteyways of tne Old Ci§. Most eye-oooo ^gof the lot is Riad Enrla (9 Derb Mesfioui, 04444 09 26, wrwv.rradenija.com) where anyguests lacking the pose and hauteur of acatwalk diva risk beinq made to look shabbyby the drop dead gorgeousness of therooms. Dar Doukkala (83 Derb Arset Aouzal.044 3834 44, wwwdardoukkala.com) is a
strange but appealing mix of '1940s Englishcountry mansion and Moroccan riad. Arambling maze of a residence, Riad El Cadi(87 Derb Moulay Abdelkader, 044 37 86 55,www.riyadelcadi.com) comprises eightinterconnected houses; bedrooms, as wellas the various salons, corridors andlandings, double as gallery space {or anoutstanding collection of local art andartefacts. Tchaikana (25 Derb El Ferrane,044 38 51 50, www.tchaikana.com) is
lust four rooms small; however, they're allenormous and beautiful. Riad Magi (79Derb Moulay Abdelkader, 044 42 66 88)is petite, unpretentrous and homely withsix colour-coordinated rooms tiered inthree levels around its central oranqe-treeshaded courtyard. When in town, Englishowner Maggie Perry holds court from hercorner table, organising guests' affairsand spinning stories of local absurdity.
The only real option for getting to grips withthe Old City is to go at it on foot. lt looksdaunting on the map, but the area withinthe walls isn't really that larqe. And in anycase, many of the streets are too narrow toaccommodate cars, hence the swarms ofmotorcycles, scooters and pushbikes thatmäke negotiating the city so lethal topedestrians. .Just occasronally, a taxi mightbe necessary, but more for navigationpurposes than for anything else; somerestaurants and hotels are so well hiddenthat the only way to find them is to bechauffeured by a native.
:.,i , l. lt.rrrt :.:::: : :
Less than an hour's drive south ofMarrakech äre the Atlas Mountarns, lofty,often snow-capped peaks traversed by a
series of passes. Most spectacular o{ thesehigh altitude routes is the Tizi n Tichka,which snakes up to 2,260 metres above sea
PLANE TNiTi Flight time 3hrs 40mins-4hrs 35mlns. .
Served by British Airuvays, operatedr by GB Airuvays, from Gatwick and
l Heathrow Check wr,lw.ba.com for I
cleLails.
Airport Frcm luggage caro,sel alMarrakec^ s i-rernatrona. airpo't tocity centre takes less than ten mrnutes i
I by car. Taxis wa t outside the arrivalsouildinq. The farr to r1e o d City s
I about f3. Most taxr d|vers p ckingLp at tl'e airpo'r wil acceot dolla's,eros o" pounds.
Why go? Because the currentpassion for ethnicity and colour has
conspired to make Marrakech theA-list destination du jour.
Don't miss The carnival of localentertainment each night on lemaaEl Fna.
What to buy Everyth ng for a
Moroccan makeover of the pad
back home.What's weird lsn't that Sting in thecorner? And wasn't that Jean Paul
Gau tier in the kaftan? How did a
small, provincral c ty in North Africaget to be so damn fashionable?
level. At its highest point, the road is
overlooked by the dramatic ruins of theKasbah Telouet, former power base of therulers of the Atlas. Continuing south on thesame road is Ait Benhaddou, anotherrambling fortress eyrie and a favouritelocation for frlm-makers: the kasbah has
featured in more than 20 movies includrngDavid Lean's Lawrence of Arabia and Ridley
Scott's Gladiator. Ouarzazale, the regionalcapital at the southern end of the Trzi nTichka road has close lrnks to the filmrndustry including a couple of large studiocomplexes, but otherwise is just a pit stopfor visitors heading on down into the desert
and the sand dunes of Zagora.
Net accessCyber Club, Avenue Mohammed V, next toCafe Koutoubia.
Police stationBrigade Touristique (Tourist Police), Jemaa El
Fna (044 38 46 0 1 ).
Post officerue Moulay lsmael, just off Jemaa El Fna.
TaxisFlag them down on the street; they're allyellow and stencilled 'petit taxi'.
Tourist officeOffice National Marocain du Tourisme, placeAbdel Moumen, Gu1liz(044 43 61 31).
Websiteswww.tourism-in-morocco.comwwu.morocco-today.inf o
Code to dial from the UK: 00212, then drop the initial 0
ßt
As the sun sets on Jemaa El Fna, streetentertainers shift thetr pitches toaccommodate the arrival of around 100food stalls that set up in tightiy drawn rowswith benches for the diners and masses offood banked up in the middle besidesmoke-wreathed open grilis. Each stallspecialises: palatability runs from the safe
and familiar (boiled eggs, soup and kebabs)to the outriqht revolting (boiled sheepheads and brains). Restaurants in
Marrakech typically feature sumptuousvisual feasts of tiling and stucco, courtyardsopen to starry skies, with rich fabrics andlantern lighting ior texture and colour. Tops
for quality cooking is Dar Moha (81 rue DarEl Bacha, 044 38 64 00,www.darmoha.ma), which specralrses inMoroccan fusion cuisine. Ksar Es Saoussan(3 Derb El Messaoudyenne. 044 44 OG 32)has spades of old world charm and a choiceoi reasonably pr,ced ser menus. f Mirrouna(47 place des Ferblantiers, 044 38 68 68,wwwrestaurant-lmimouna.com) boasts a
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